LAS CRUCES >> Gregg Brandon was not a happy camper this week, as the New Mexico State Aggies prepared to face the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Brandon, NMSU's football offensive coordinator, talked about his unit's performance during last week's 56-7 loss to the University of Texas. He pointed to the team's three turnovers against the Longhorns; the Aggies inability to get the ball in the end zone; and, in his words, how the group's execution "sputtered at times."

"It's 21-7, early in the third, and we've got the ball on the 15-yard line," Brandon said, reflecting on an early second-half drive. "We throw a pick. After that, the flood gates opened. We score there, it's 21-14. Who knows."

Yet, while all those statements are true, it's also true that the NMSU offense looks largely improved in 2013.

Schematically, it's light years ahead of where it was a year ago. The new model has the team implementing a spread, no-huddle attack, with some pistol formation, play-action passing and bootlegs, along with the quarterback-option running game.

Last week against the Longhorns, NMSU had nine different wide receivers catch passes (led by Josh Bowen's eight receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown). Quarterback Andrew McDonald completed 32-of-46 passes for 242 yards, while getting sacked just once (he also led the team with 50 rushing yards on the evening). And the Aggies got the tight ends involved in the passing game, with Andrew Dean and Perris Scoggins combining for nine catches for 47 yards (last year the entire tight end unit tallied just 30 catches on the season).

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The first half did in fact see the Aggies move the ball at an effective rate on the No. 15 team in the country, with McDonald's 11-yard scoring pass to Bowen giving the team a 7-0 lead late in the second quarter.

"I loved what we're doing on offense," head coach Doug Martin said. "I think we're really well balanced ... I think our offensive line ... I think they can be a strength for us and I think they played well. But you have to be able to make plays.

"I like where we are offensively. We've just got to get more points on the board."

While the schematic elements are in place for the Aggies to have an effective offense this season, Martin's and Brandon's points are also well taken.

McDonald showed he could be an effective player, although must cut down on the three turnovers he committed against the Longhorns -- all of which came with NMSU driving.

It was essentially the senior's first Division I playing experience. Last season McDonald, a transfer from Santa Ana College, came to NMSU as a possible insurance policy, with starting quarterback Andrew Manley coming off an ACL injury. The thought was McDonald -- who's father Paul played college quarterback at USC and then professionally for the Cleveland Browns -- could compete for playing time.

That never came to fruition, however, with McDonald seeing action in just a handful of snaps during an early-season blowout loss at Ohio University. Such events hurt the quarterback in two ways: not only was he strictly relegated to backup duties, but his chances of a redshirt season -- which would have retained his junior year of eligibility -- was lost in the process.

Still, the new year brought new hope, as Martin took over the head coaching reigns and hired Brandon to run the team's offense. And, while Travaughn Colwell entered camp as a slight favorite to win the starting quarterback job, it was McDonald who would eventually get the nod, with true freshman King Davis III waiting in the wings.

"I came here with a goal. And I wanted to see it through," McDonald said when asked why he returned to NMSU for his senior season. "And I didn't want to quit on my teammates."

McDonald agreed he must protect the ball better, adding the Aggies need to establish a rushing attack while creating more explosive plays on offense.

When it was suggested the Aggies - minus wide receiver Austin Franklin in the lineup - might not have a true gamebreaker offensively, McDonald countered, "We do have our shot plays. We've got to capitalize on them. When plays are there, we've got to make them. We need to get better on that as a team, to be able to score touchdowns."

When asked to grade McDonald's performance last week by putting the three turnovers aside, Brandon said "It's pretty good, because he played well aside from the three turnovers....He managed the offense, he made throws. He completed 32 balls. One sack. That's impressive."

With Minnesota coming to town this weekend, the Aggies hope to move the ball at an effective rate once again, only this time protect it and, in turn, find the end zone more frequently.

When asked what the Aggies were capable of if they eliminated such turnovers and turned red zone opportunities into touchdowns, Brandon replied, "Winning the game."